In the works since 2016, plans to level the two-story Auto Trust Services building at 255 Shipley Street and develop a modern four-story building upon its Western SoMa site could be approved on August 23.

And as newly rendered above and below, the ground floor façade of the development would be finished with Porcelanosa building panels, above which laminate resin panels would be hung.

In addition to creating little outdoor spaces, the angled window design is intended to “increase the number of eyes on the street.” And if approved and built, three (3) of the units are slated to be rented at below market rates.

Famous architects are now building interesting, expensive luxury buildings on a service alley. For most of its life, I imagine, this street was used for “tenement” housing and back entrances for repair shops.

There are many people who are dismayed by the current housing market, but there are hundreds of visible indicators –not to mention statistics– that things will never go back. Prices may level off, building may slow, inflation may erode the buying power of currency, but the changes are real and permanent.

We have witnessed a reordering of SF equal to Haussmann’s in Paris from 1850 to 1870.

We’ve seen housing prices plummet without huge amounts of new stock coming online (i.e. during the recession). Broader economic trends can definitely force prices down on their own. That’s not a good thing to rely on, but it is possible and has happened before.

Not a huge fan of Saitowitz designs. I see his building at 8 Octavia and the group of panhandlers on the median and wonder how the building residents feel about living so close to the freeway on/off ramps.

Drove by a Saitowitz building on Divisadero yesterday and the panels are already coming off, there are gaps forming by the windows, and the weather staining makes it look like it was built in the 80s and never cleaned.

This building would be right across from another Saitowitz development on Clara Street (the white building visible in the background of the topmost photo). Would be cool to have 2 buildings by the same architect framing Clara.